What is Tech Prep?

Tech Prep programs provide valuable education, technical skills, and specialized training for all Texas youth.  Through an innovative combination of high school classroom study and real-world work experience, Tech Prep students receive valuable skills and technical training that prepare them to enter the world of work sooner, better educated, and better trained.  Tech Prep students start learning technical skills and earning college credit while they are still in high school.  Highly versatile, challenging, hands-on, and responsive to current trends in local industry, Tech Prep programs combine the academic courses needed for success in school with the technical courses that begin to prepare students for a career.

Tech Prep has proven results.  Research shows that Tech Prep students have higher attendance rates, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and go on to college at higher rates than their peers.  And further, Tech Prep works for under-represented and at-risk students.

Tech Prep makes good sense in your community.  Times have changed.  For today’s youth to be successful, it is every bit as important that they make good career decisions as it is that they make good grades in school.  As you know, more and more of today’s jobs require technical skills and specialized training.  Tech Prep students have the opportunity to explore career options early.  In this hands-on, challenging environment students discover their own interests and skills and experience practical, real-world ways to pursue their goals in a wide variety of high-skill, high-wage or high-demand technical careers.  Through their high school experiences, students learn important social skills, a positive work ethic, and gain the motivation and confidence to be successful in their future chosen careers. 

Tech Prep is good for local business and industry.  Employers need good employees who are educated, trained, and ready to work.  Tech Prep students are just that.  Tech Prep helps local business and industry by providing:

·         Quality employees – Local neighborhood and community employers are armed with an educated workforce

·         Qualified workers – Tech Prep students are trained and ready to work

·         Relevant workforce training – Tech Prep students are educated and trained in response to the needs of local business and industry

·         Locally based workforce – Local youth study, train, and work in the community

·         Quick turnaround – Tech Prep students can receive an associate degree in as little as 1½ years after high school graduation

·         A Win/Win Relationship – Through local internships and co-ops, business and industry can provide real world training through partnerships with community teachers and students while receiving valuable skills and labor in return

Businesses that support Tech Prep:  Corpus Christi Army Depot, Caterpillar, DOW Chemical, Exxon, General Motors, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, Texas Instruments and are among the many companies in business and industry that support Tech Prep.

Ideas for strengthening Tech Prep in your area:  Participation on your community’s or local school’s advisory board is an effective way to add support for Tech Prep in your area.  By providing input on training and relevant industry skills and content, you can make a significant impact on the nature and quality of your local workforce, business and industry, and your community. 

For more information about Tech Prep, visit the Tech Prep Texas website at www.techpreptexas.org

Rev. 2008